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D N Jha defends his book that claims early Hindus ate beef

Dwijendra Narayan Jha, author of a controversial book that claims that early Hindus ate beef, has said his book has become a casualty of the culture wars that have 'plagued' India since the 'hardline Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party took office five years ago.'

In an interview with The New York Times, the author of The Myth of the Holy Cow said, 'The battle lines are drawn very clearly. On one side of the barricade are ideas of cultural pluralism, rationality and democratic values. On the other side are Hindu fundamentalism and cultural nationalism.'

'The prohibition on beef-eating has been made a mark of Hindu identity, but this is historically not true,' he said.

Citing 'sources ranging from ancient sacred scriptures, the Vedas (circa 1000 BC) to Sanskrit epics as well as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and data from archaeological digs,' Jha said 'the holiness of the cow is a myth... its flesh was very much part of the early non-vegetarian food regimen and dietary tradition.'

'Only two days ago, I saw the news that they are trying to get the cow declared a national animal,' Jha said.

PTI

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